Synthetic tissue controls and synthetic tissue microarray controls

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments include methods to form STC and STMC for use in determining presence of cancer, and methods to detect presence of cancer. In one embodiment, A portion of a STC is stained. The STC includes normal cells and cancer cells of a type of cancer co-cultured based on at least one cell culturing factors. The at least one co-culture factors includes a type of the cancer cells being cultured, a ratio of the cancer cells to the normal cells being co-cultured, seeding density of the normal cells and the cancer cells being co-cultured, a type of cell growth supplement used to facilitate culturing the cells, and a concentration of the cell growth supplement used to facilitate co-culturing the cells. The stained portion is observed to determine presence of one or more biomarker types that indicate presence of cancer.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method to form a synthetic tissue control for use in determining presence of cancer, the method comprising:
 preparing an approximately zero gravity environment for cell culture; 
 culturing cells comprising normal cells and cancer cells of a type of cancer in the approximately zero gravity environment and based on seeding density of the normal cells and the cancer cells being cultured; and 
 adding approximately 5 micrograms of DNase per milliliter of cell culture medium to facilitate un-clumping of the normal cells and the cancer cells during co-culturing of the cells. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein culturing the cells comprises co-culturing the normal cells and the cancer cells in a cell culture chamber configured to maintain a concentration of CO 2  and temperature inside the cell culture chamber. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein culturing the cells further comprises maintaining the cell culture chamber in a motorized rotating device operable to:
 hold the synthetic tissue control; and 
 spin the cell culture chamber at a predetermined speed during co-culturing of the cells. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 forming a homogenous core with un-clumped normal cells; and 
 invading the homogenous core with un-clumped cells of the cancer cells. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adding Fibronectin to improve contact between the normal cells and the cancer cells. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein culturing the cells comprises culturing the cells in the approximately zero gravity environment for a period of 8-12 days. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein culturing cells comprising normal cells and cancer cells comprises culturing normal cells and breast cancer cells. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein a ratio of the breast cancer cells to the normal cells is approximately 1:99.8. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the breast cancer cells are MCF.7 cancer cells. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the seeding density of MCF.7 cancer cells is approximately 18,750 per milliliter. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the seeding density of the normal cells is approximately 187,876 per milliliter. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising staining the synthetic tissue control with a stain to observe one or more expressions of specific markers of the cancer cells.